Third annual event presents Geneva Gay, expert in culturally responsive teaching
Bridging the cultural disconnect between teachers and students will be the focus of the 2012 Urban Education and Community Forum, presented by the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Education.
Dr. Geneva Gay, an internationally known scholar and professor from the University of Washington, will be the featured speaker at the event. This year’s theme is “Improving Achievement through Culturally Responsive Teaching,” a discipline that frames the teaching approach by accounting for the impact of culture, race, gender, socioeconomic status and religion on the teaching and learning process. The cultural disconnect stems from the fact that students from ethnically diverse backgrounds make up approximately 41 percent of the public school population, while teachers from ethnically diverse backgrounds make up only about 14 percent of the teaching workforce.
Gay is professor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Washington (Seattle). She is the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award, presented by the Committee on the Role and Status of Minorities in Educational Research and Development of the American Educational Research Association; the 2004 W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Lecturer Award presented by the Special Interest Group on Research Focus on Black Education of the American Educational Research Association; and the 2006 Mary Anne Raywid Award for Distinguished Scholarship in the Field of Education, presented by the Society of Professors of Education. Among many other books, publications and book chapters, she is the author of Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research & Practice (Teachers College Press, 2000), and a member of the authorship team of the Scott Foresman New Elementary Social Studies Series.
This year’s Urban Education Forum will address how culturally responsive teaching will positively impact student success, especially when employed with children whom the educational system traditionally struggles to serve well. The forum runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. April 5 at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Mo. While this event is free and open to the public, space is limited. RSVP online or by calling 816-235-2963. Reservation deadline is March 29.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.